War has always been one of the most consistent sources of inspiration for filmmakers around the globe, with World War II, in particular, becoming the subject of numerous movies showcasing a variety of perspectives. These films attempt to capture one of the most devastating conflicts in history in historically accurate and often deeply personal ways, with many being hailed as timeless pieces of cinema that have gone on to educate and move countless viewers.
From the unbelievably disturbing Come and See to the heart-wrenching Schindler’s List, the best WWII movies portray unimaginable atrocities with profound sensitivity. These award-winning works successfully depict critical stories and moments from one of the most pivotal periods of the 20th century, ensuring that the cost and horrors of war are never forgotten.
10. Fires on the Plain (1959)
Set in the final days of World War II, Fires on the Plain tells the story of a tubercular Japanese soldier who, after being dismissed from his unit and hospital, wanders the desolate Philippine island of Leyte. Private Tamura (Eiji Funakoshi) struggles to survive during the waning period of the war, and he meets fellow soldiers with much worse predicaments, including insanity and starvation that leads to cannibalism. Tamura flees his own troop in a desperate bid to stay alive, only to find more horrors as he wanders around the foreign country.
Directed by Kon Ichikawa based on Shōhei Ōoka’s 1951 novel titled Nobi, the 1959 Japanese war film initially received mixed reviews but has been re-evaluated as a critical entry in the genre. Fires on the Plain asks what happens when the dust settles and the soldiers find themselves dying far from home, with the slow-burn drama film‘s focus on Tamura’s story making it a standout WWII movie that deserves more recognition.
9. Dunkirk (2017)
Dunkirk chronicles the titular evacuation of World War II, using three perspectives — land, sea, and air — to tell various stories about the chaos unfolding across France. The 2017 film doesn’t use the typical narrative structure, choosing instead to show a variety of situations to capture the soldiers’ collective struggle for survival. These moments include desperate characters trapped in a sinking boat as well as RAF pilots risking their lives to protect soldiers on the beach.
Primarily relying on music and cinematography and featuring little dialogue, director Christopher Nolan masterfully builds suspense and dread over the film’s nearly two-hour runtime. Hans Zimmer’s Oscar-winning score helps heighten that tension, with the composer’s work on Dunkirk among the greatest in his career. The film thrusts audiences into the mess and unpredictability of war, with its overlapping timelines intentionally crafted to highlight the raw fear and confusion the soldiers felt during the evacuation.
8. Casablanca (1942)
In director Michael Curtiz’s legendary romantic drama Casablanca, Rick Blaine’s (Humphrey Bogart) life changes when his former lover Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) unexpectedly enters his bar in the titular Moroccan city. Ilsa arrives with her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a Czech resistance leader being hunted by the Nazi regime. Initially reluctant to help, Rick is soon roped into their predicament when he has a passionate affair with Ilsa. He soon has to make an iconic, difficult choice at the airport.
Casablanca is a beloved classic for a reason, with its flawless screenplay and mesmerizing performances still discussed and referenced today. Aside from being one of the best romance movies of all time, the 1942 film is also an important work in the war genre. Beyond being filmed and set during World War II, Rick’s final decision underscores a powerful message about refusing to stay on the sidelines, even if it is the more comfortable choice.
7. The Cranes are Flying (1957)
The Cranes Are Flying is a Soviet war film that follows the young couple Veronika (Tatiana Samoilova) and Boris (Aleksei Batalov), whose lives are shattered when Boris volunteers for the army. As war devastates Moscow, Veronika’s life is upended amidst the bombings and other emerging threats, notably from Boris’ opportunistic cousin, Mark (Aleksandr Shvorin). After years of hardship, a guilt-inducing relationship, and an unexpected new family member, Veronika learns the terrible truth she didn’t want to accept about Boris’ fate on the front lines.
Georgian-born Soviet director Mikhail Kalatozov captures the war’s widespread damage to the Soviet psyche, which was known as the Great Patriotic War in the Soviet Union. A critical haunting scene from the film contrasts the overhead flight of cranes, symbolizing hope, with Veronika’s despair, questioning the cost of victory in the war. The Cranes Are Flying would have a historic win at the 1958 Cannes Film Festival, becoming the only Soviet film to take home the Palme d’Or.
6. The Pianist (2002)
Based on the harrowing true story of Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman, director Roman Polanski’s adaptation of the autobiography recounts how the gifted Polish-Jewish pianist (played by The Brutalist’s Adrien Brody) lived through the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. The Pianist portrays how Szpilman, once a celebrated musician, barely survives after his family is sent to the death camps. The protagonist then scrapes by in the ruins of the ghetto that was once a thriving community, getting by on what he can find, with some help from kind-hearted individuals around him.
There are no overt heroes in The Pianist, with the film avoiding sentimentality in favor of a raw and intimate glimpse into one man’s struggle for survival amidst overwhelming odds. Szpilman’s journey is heartbreaking, especially given the stark change in his position as a beloved pianist in his city who is then forced into dehumanizing circumstances. Adrien Brody took home the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance, which he prepared for by isolating himself for months, breaking up with his girlfriend, letting go of his apartment and car, losing 30 pounds, and even taking piano lessons for four hours per day.
5. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
The Bridge on the River Kwai tells the gripping story of British POWs forced to construct a railway bridge over the titular river by their Japanese captors in Burma. The stoic British officer Colonel Nicholson (Star Wars’ Alec Guinness) leads his men with the same discipline and rigor they trained for to be in the military, all while clashing with the equally determined Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa). Despite their captor-captive relationship, Nicholson becomes obsessively committed to building the bridge as a symbol of British strength, inadvertently aiding the enemy. Meanwhile, Shears (William Holden), an American prisoner who escaped the camp, is coerced into returning with a mission to destroy the bridge, leading to a tense showdown.
Nicholson’s final realization — accompanied by a dramatic “What have I done?” — reflects his loss of perspective, which the film builds up to with its almost three-hour runtime. Director David Lean is a master of epics, and he infuses the 1957 movie with the ambitious sets and meticulous attention to detail he became known for. The Bridge on the River Kwai may tell a fictional story, but it’s a riveting one that explores the madness and obsession that comes with war, especially before an inevitable defeat.
4. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
The most recognizable animated film in the war genre, Studio Ghibli’s Grave of the Fireflies tells the heart-wrenching story of two siblings, Seita (Tsutomu Tatsumi) and Setsuko (Ayano Shiraishi). Directed by Isao Takahata, the movie depicts the siblings’ experiences during the final months of World War II in Japan, where they’re left to fend for themselves after their mother dies in an air raid. As they move from one frightening location to the next, the siblings can only rely on each other. But with food becoming more scarce and structures collapsing around them, things look grim.
Grave of the Fireflies has earned a reputation for being among the saddest animated movies ever, especially thanks to its unforgettable and tear-jerking ending. Ghibli’s signature hand-drawn gorgeous frames make the emotional events in the film even more hard-hitting, easily cementing it as the studio’s most tragic tale. The 1988 movie points out the human cost of war, especially those young innocent lives who are left forgotten in the destruction.
3. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan starts with one of the most brutal and realistic depictions of war ever captured on film: the D-Day invasion at Omaha Beach. Amid the deaths and disarray, Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) and his team survive, only to be given the daunting task of tracking down a lone survivor somewhere in war-torn France. Private James Ryan (Matt Damon) is alone in hostile territory after his three brothers died in combat, and it’s up to Miller’s squad to find and rescue him before the enemy combatants run into him first.
Saving Private Ryan is among the most popular war movies that showcased painfully accurate graphic portrayals of D-Day and what it’s like to be a soldier. Spielberg would spend a considerable amount of time and money perfecting that infamous opening sequence, using $12 million of the $65 million production budget and employing around 1,500 to get it right. The 1998 movie would be a massive success, becoming a box-office hit and influencing numerous subsequent works in the genre.
2. Schindler’s List (1993)
Another masterpiece from Spielberg that’s never absent from any discussion of the best war movies of all time is Schindler’s List. Based on the astonishing true story of Oskar Schindler (played by Liam Neeson), the film follows the German industrialist’s transformation from a war profiteer into a brave humanitarian. Schindler is horrified by SS-Untersturmführer Amon Göth’s (Ralph Fiennes) cruelty in the Płaszów concentration camp. The protagonist decides to help, and Schindler saves more than a thousand refugees by having them work in his factories during the Second World War.
The film’s unsettling story is fittingly told in black-and-white, with Spielberg approaching it like a documentary to make it feel more authentic. Neeson is impeccably cast as the courageous Schindler, whose performance became a worthy tribute to the real-life figure. After its premiere in 1993, the film would shock the world, with countless tears shed for the young girl in the red coat and several other moments that underscored both the unbelievable loss and awe-inspiring bravery in Schindler’s story.
1. Come and See (1985)
Come and See is a one-of-a-kind anti-war film centered on the Nazi German occupation of Belarus. Directed by Elem Klimov, it follows a boy named Florya (Aleksei Kravchenko), who discovers a rifle and naively joins the Soviet resistance against his family’s wishes. Florya then finds himself in one traumatizing situation after another, including a ruthless massacre of a village where people are burned alive, as well as the demise of his own family.
Aside from exploring a side of World War II not often seen in cinema, Come and See stands out for its use of hyper-realism and surrealism to create a visceral viewing experience that replicates the deep fear and helplessness Florya experiences. His torturous arc that shows the jarring ways his youth and naivety are ripped from him is almost too disturbing to watch at times, driving home the film’s anti-war message. The Soviet-era movie was banned for eight years before Klimov could fully produce it, and time has done nothing to take away from the provocative and powerful work that any fan of the genre should see at least once.
